


A Snowflake At Dusk

by MadLarkin25



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-01 16:22:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4026715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadLarkin25/pseuds/MadLarkin25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How would you react if you found something you never knew you needed, in the last place you'd think to look? This is AU in which Weiss is a Doctor, and Ruby a patient. I suck at summaries, but this story will contain WhiteRose, potentially Bumblebee, and medical procedures. Rated mature for discussion of medical procedures and terminal illness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

The last thing Ruby had expected was to end up in a hospital. When she had discovered the annoying lump under her arm, she though it was nothing, just an ingrown hair or something stupid like that. But when it didn't go away after a week, the young brunette started to wonder exactly what it was. She would have been content to just ignore it; it didn't really bother her all that much. Most of the time she barely even noticed it. It was only through Yang's insistence that she ended up at the doctors. That, and the fact that Yang had threatened to carry her sister over her shoulder right to the doctors chair if she didn't go herself.

 

 Truth be told, Ruby hated going to the doctors. The surgeries themselves were nearly always the same; bland on the outside, functional on the inside. From the shade-above-white walls, to the uncomfortable and creaky chairs, they always screamed “Bring out ya dead!” to her. That, and the multitudes of screaming children and people who looked sick enough to be classed as zombies, had made doctors surgeries a place Ruby usually liked to avoid.

 

 Then there were the doctors themselves. Ruby hadn't been to many doctors, but she had always found it hard to be comfortable and upfront with any of the doctors she had seen. Some doctors were too old; they looked like they should be the ones getting taken care of, not the other way around. Others were from parts unknown with accents so thick it made the normally frustrating language of doctors seem like another language entirely. Then there were the young doctors. Ruby didn't know why, or how, but every young doctor she had ever seen had been ridiculously attractive, like they had been meant for runways and flashing cameras, rather than stethoscopes and bodily fluids. All in all, she had never met a doctor that she'd really liked, and wanted to go back to.

 

 But when she had gone to get her lump checked out, her doctor had been female and old, so Ruby didn't feel as uncomfortable as she thought she would. That's not to say she was comfortable with being told to take off her shirt. Doing as the doctor asked, Ruby had to resist the urge to cover herself up. It wasn't like she had anything to be ashamed of really; she wasn't flat chested, and she was in good shape. But she still didn't like feeling so exposed, especially in front of a perfect stranger. She found herself thinking about anything and everything but the old lady poking at her armpit. It didn't take long for Ruby to lose herself in her thoughts, but her reverie couldn't last. She was brought back to the real world by the sudden lack of contact under her arm. Ruby knew something wasn't right when the doctor wouldn't immediately look at her.

Absently rubbing her chin, the old woman asked, “How long have you had this lump?”

“Um, a little longer than a week I guess.”

“And how long has your breast been irritated like this?”

Ruby looked at the doctor like she'd grown a second head and asked her about life on Mars.

“But it's not...” she didn't finish her sentence. Looking down, Ruby saw exactly what the doctor had described.  
Feeling her heart rate escalate, Ruby tried to hide the worry in her voice, “What does this mean?”

She could practically see the doctor steel her face, an automatic reaction to delivering bad news. “Well, this just a preliminary precaution you understand, but I think there is a possibility that you have Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Now, you have to understand, while this is a less common form of Breast Cancer, there are still treatments....”

Ruby stopped listening after hearing the term a second time.

Cancer.

The doctor wasn't even sure she had it, but something about her demeanour gave Ruby an uneasy feeling.

Cancer.

It was like everything Ruby knew was about to change, was about to be shattered. The life she had always known, even complained about, was about to become something she'd give anything to get back.

Cancer.

Lost in her thoughts again, it took Ruby a moment to realise that the doctor was waiting for her to respond.

“Oh,” was all Ruby could manage.

 


	2. Preparation

To say the weeks that followed were intense would be an understatement. After her doctor's visit, Ruby was practically thrown from one specialist to the next. Their offices were all the same; a simple desk with organised files and a government sponsored computer. Medical certificates and qualifications were framed upon the bland walls. Some had models of different body parts; the inside of an ear, half a vertebrae. The most variety she ever saw in the offices, was the type of equipment they housed. But that wasn't the kind of variety she looked forward to seeing; each new piece of equipment was bound to be something that was meant to analyse, scan or detect this or that. The young girl didn't listen to half of what the doctors said about each new test; all she paid attention to was what each one did to her. That one squashed her, this one stabbed her, each new “test” seemed like a new and unusual way to torture the brunette. As if being thrown from doctor to doctor, test to test wasn't bad enough, most of the doctors didn't read her file until she was right in front of them. Which meant Ruby was able to see every reaction the doctors had; their faces would harden, their eyes would often glance to her in incredulity, before they finally cleared their throat and became all business.

 

More than one person, not just doctors, had told her all about the odds.

“You're too young to get breast cancer; it's probably just an abscess.”

“The chances of getting Inflammatory Breast Cancer are even lower than those of getting normal Breast Cancer; I'm sure it's something else.”

 

Everyone seemed to have an opinion on just what it could be; no-one seemed willing to admit what it really looked like. Because each test Ruby was put through, a mammogram, multiple biopsies and even an ultrasound, crossed out more and more possibilities. No matter how many people told her otherwise, or how many tests she was put through “just as a precaution”, she knew; it could only be one thing.

 

So when Ruby was sat down by the old doctor who had originally worried about the lump, she felt a sense of relief. Whether the results were good or bad, at least this whole mess would be over; at least she'd know.

Slowly taking a seat herself, the elderly doctor began, “I won't waste any more time with you Miss Rose. The other doctors and specialists have all confirmed it. You do, in fact, have Inflammatory Breast Cancer.”

Ruby could feel some of her earlier tension disappear; she finally knew for certain. But just as her old tension disappeared, the young woman felt something else. For the first time since she'd gone to the doctors, she found that she was beginning to feel truly worried, and more than a little scared.

Despite all her musing, Ruby heard the doctor continue.

“It's very strange, someone your age shouldn't have Breast Cancer at all, let alone IBC. It's a much more aggressive strain, and can be harder to detect. The fact that it's already affecting your lymph nodes doesn't look good. That generally suggests that the cancer has spread beyond the tissue of the breast itself. It is possible, however, for the cancer to have only spread through the tissue and then to the lymph nodes, so all hope is not lost.”

That didn't exactly make her feel any better.

“The doctors at the hospital will inform you on the best course of action, they have people there who deal with this sort of thing on a daily basis. But you will most likely undergo surgery and possibly even chemotherapy.”

The small office was then filled with silence.

Placing her wrinkled her hand on the young girls knee, the doctor softly said, “You'll be ok. These people are experts in their fields. Not just some old lady prescribing antibiotics to sick kids.”

Ruby smiled a little at that.

“The hospital has already gotten back to me. They will have a room ready for you in two days.”

Suddenly, everything seemed to pick up pace again. Now she was getting thrown into a hospital?

“Um, how long will I be there? D-do I need to bring anything with me?” Ruby muttered, absently rubbing her hands together.

Her doctor smiled patiently, “Your stay there will depend on exactly what treatment you get and the advice of your surgeon and doctor. As for bringing things with you, no you won't need anything. Most of your time will be spent in a hospital gown, so clothes won't be an issue. Any other question?”

Ruby shook her head.

“Then I wish you all the best Miss Rose.”

 

Two days. Ruby wasn't sure what to feel about the time she'd been given. On one hand, she just wanted everything over and done with. She wanted to go to hospital, get her surgery done, wait out her recovery period and just be done with it all.

On the other hand, she also wanted that time to last forever. She wanted to just act like nothing was wrong at all. She wanted to sit around her apartment, drawing, reading her comic books and watching anime, like she always did.

But Ruby did know one thing for certain; no matter how she chose to spend her time, she would end up going to the hospital, and she would get this thing sorted out. She wanted nothing more than for things to go back to the way they should be; familiar, safe.

 

But the more she thought about it, and it was all she could think about, the more her brain conjured up “what if?” scenarios.

What if she was sicker than all the doctors thought?

What if her surgery took a greater toll than she thought, forever impeding her ability to do the things she loved?

What if she...

 

Putting her key into her apartment door, Ruby shook her head. No, she wouldn't think about that. Stepping into her familiar abode, the young girl took a deep breath and smiled. Everything about the small space practically screamed “Nerd” and “Messy” at first glance. But for those who knew her, the apartment just said “Ruby”.

 

Ruby tossed her keys onto the simple chipboard counter dividing the kitchen and dining area, then made her way to her small living room and plonked herself down onto her favourite cotton/polyester blend couch. Looking down, the brunette rubbed the arm of the couch sentimentally. She could remember exactly how she'd gotten it.

 

It was when Ruby had not long gotten her apartment, and was still on the hunt for furniture. She already had most of the basics; a fridge, washing machine, table, bed. But so far her living room consisted of her TV and a bean bag. She had been driving somewhere with Yang, she couldn't remember where, when they had passed a garage sale. Ruby had made her older sister pull the old blue ute over, just in case there was anything interesting or cheap that caught her eye. But what she didn't tell the blonde was that garage sales were often a great place to pick up comic books, or second hand manga, normally at an extremely cheap price too.

It didn't take long for Ruby to see the old couch, sitting aside, forgotten and apparently unwanted. It was obviously a couch that had been around for a while, and had seen its fair share of horrors. Parts of the couch were faded, others were worn down to almost nothing, most of the cushions were stained. But, it was also a three seater couch, more than big enough for the small girl to lay down on, and it was cheap. Most importantly however, was that the couch was red as red could be. Needless to Ruby had instantly fallen in love, and bought the couch, despite all of her sisters protests and warnings.

Getting the couch into Ruby's apartment had been an interesting endeavour. Ruby's apartment was at the end of her hall, on the second floor, and the couch was too big to fit in the elevator. So, Ruby and Yang had to carry the couch up a flight of stairs, and then flip and turn the couch several times before they even got through the front door. Naturally the first thing the sisters did after achieving their goal was collapse onto said couch.

 

Ruby couldn't help another sigh as she looked around her apartment; it wasn't just the couch that she was attached to. She loved the one pair of curtains she owned, black, embroidered with the silhouettes of flaming roses; they hung over her bedroom window and painted her bedroom wall with shadowy roses at sunset during the summer. She was extremely proud of each and every drawing that she had stuck to her otherwise bland bedroom walls. Her DVD collection scattered all over the floor next to her simple TV always felt like a “Welcome Home” sign. Even the mess of clothes, most of them either red or black, that Ruby had scattered about added character to the place.

 

Thinking about her apartment made Ruby smile. It was probably a good thing she lived on her own; her messy system of “organisation” would probably drive all but the most resilient insane.

A sudden knock at the door broke the sentimental young woman out of her reverie.

Ruby had barely opened the door all the way before she was tackled and squeezed. She barely had to look down to know who it was.

“Uh, Y-yang, you're..crushing...me,” Ruby managed to gasp out.

 

Her older sister had obviously just finished work and rushed straight over, in hopes of catching her sister. Ruby had kept the over-protective blonde updated throughout all of her tests, knowing that she would be dealing with an exploded phone and potentially exploded apartment door if she didn't.

How Yang managed to make her work uniform still look good, Ruby would never know, but it was a constant source of jealousy for her. Any woman who could still pull off a hi-vis vest, thick, tan work boots, a white hard-hat, thick denim jeans and a long sleeved work shirt, got a thumbs-up from Ruby. Especially when all of that gear was covered in dirt and grime; which was now all over Ruby.

“Oh Yang, come on!” She was wearing her favourite black T-shirt and everything.

Grabbing her shoulders and burning her lilac eyes into Ruby's grey, Yang ignored her protests, “Are you feeling ok? Are you in pain? What does the hospital have planned?”

“Whoa, Yang, one question at a time. I'm fine, I promise. I don't know exactly what the hospital has planned, they'll decide once I get there. But the doctor said it would most likely involve surgery and maybe chemotherapy.”

Her older sister ran her hands through her trademark golden locks, removing her hard-hat as she did so. She then began pacing back and forth, apparently intent on creating a ditch in Ruby's floor.

“Yang...Don't worry, I'll be..”

“Don't. Don't say it,” Yang wheeled to face her sister, fire in her eyes, “You don't know that. What if something happened to you Rubes? This is something not even I can fix,” Yang's voice wavered as she finished.

Ruby immediately hugged her sister, and led her to the couch. She wasn't used to seeing Yang like this. Yang was always smiling, teasing, making horrible jokes. Seeing her tear up broke Ruby's heart.

 

Trying to hold back her own emotions, the brunette took a deep breath, “Yang, I know. Trust me, I do. But I can't think about that. I need to act like it's nothing big because, truthfully, I'm terrified,” tears began to slowly trickle down the young girls cheeks, “I'm so scared Yang. But I'm not going to just lie down and accept what is only a possibility. I can't, I just...can't do that. I have to hope that everything will turn out ok, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against me. I think..think that's the only way..I'll...get...thro....thr...,” Ruby devolved into sobs before she could say any more.

Yang immediately pulled her sister on her lap, enveloping her small frame in a strong embrace. Holding her sister like this reminded Yang of when they were younger and Ruby would get scared of the dark. She didn't give up on her then, and she sure as hell wouldn't give up on her now.

“When did you get so grown up, huh?” Yang mumbled into Ruby's red tipped hair.

Ruby smiled into her sister's still grimy work shirt.

Looking up at her sister, she asked in a small voice, “Promise you'll come visit me?”

Yang laughed, “You won't have a choice in the matter. That hospital doesn't know what's headed there way. Cyclone Yang, coming in with a bang,” she finished with a wink.

Ruby rolled her eyes, “Really Yang?”

“Really,” the blonde replied, trying, and failing, to pull a serious face.

Before Ruby got the chance to tell her sister, for the millionth time, just how terrible her jokes were, Yang's phone trilled.

The older girl struggled to get it out of her jeans for a moment, then her face broke into a gentle smile as she read something on the screen.

“Blake?” Ruby asked simply.

Yang nodded, “Yeah, she's worried about you too, and worried about me a little too, I think. Something about her thinking that I'd be a big sobbing mess because I can't protect my baby sister. No idea what gave her that impression.”

Ruby rolled her eyes again, “She's on a book tour at the moment isn't she?”

 

Yang and Blake had been dating for some time now, almost eighteen months if Ruby remembered correctly. Blake was a writer, quite a successful one at that too, so whenever she released a new book, she was always whisked across the country for interviews, signings and awards. But most of Blake's time was spent in Vale itself, with Yang, writing up ideas for her latest work.

 

The blonde nodded, “Yeah, she almost caught a plane back here the second she heard. But I managed to talk her out of it, I mean, she's only just left for the tour, a lot of people would get super angry if she cut it short so soon. But she did say that she's going to cut the tour short anyway, so hopefully she's here before you have to go through anything major.”

“That would be nice,” Ruby was thankful for what little family she had, biological or otherwise, and Blake certainly fit into that category.

The older girl was very quiet most of the time, but Ruby had gone to her with problems more than once, and always found her advice wise and thoughtful. She wasn't afraid to be blunt either, when the situation called for it. She was like a second sister to Ruby, almost the exact opposite of Yang, but just as important.

Determined as she was, Ruby wasn't lying when she told Yang that she was scared. She did know that all sorts of bad things could happen, and there were plenty of things that could go wrong. But she had her family, and her friends, to help her get through whatever was thrown her way. She knew, that was more than what some people, a lot of people, had, and it was enough to quell any lingering doubts. Ruby Rose was not going to be beaten by Cancer; she would get through this

 


	3. Strange Beginnings

Despite having two whole days to with what she please, Ruby couldn't find anything to do. It was weird; normally, she was glad for the time away from her studies, using the time to unwind and veg out. Ruby had chosen to study Graphic Design at the local University, Beacon Academy, so when she wasn't studying, she was drawing or painting commissions for people. Thus, even when she had free time, the young girl was doing work that was much similar to her studies, not really relaxing at all. Which naturally came at a cost; she loved art, but when it was all you did for most of the week, passion was quickly replaced by reluctance and loathing. The “artist” way of life wasn't easy by any means, there were times when Ruby barely had enough money to pay rent and feed herself for the week because her commissions had dropped off, but she couldn't see herself doing anything else really. No matter how tedious it grew, the end result was always worth it.

However, now that Ruby had time to actually do the things she normally couldn't, her clients and the University already having been informed of the situation, she was drawing a blank.

More often than not, the young woman found herself starting to do something, only to end up staring off into space, her thoughts taking her miles away. It frustrated her to no end; it felt like her brain was betraying her, almost like it was content on only making her want the things she couldn't have.

Which naturally made Ruby think about all the things she had missed out on in her short life. She'd never really travelled anywhere; it had always been one of those "when I have money" kind of situations. Never at the top of her priority list, but still on it. As a matter of fact, there were plenty of things on the brunette's "when I'm in a better place" priority list; a nice car, a studio of her own, a dog or three, the list went on. But one of the things she wanted most was a cute relationship. In a way, Ruby was a paradox. All in all, she considered herself a very realistic young woman; growing up with only one parent, and then losing said parent as a teenager tended to do that to a person. She knew just how cruel the real world was, just how quickly it would chew you up and spit you out if it caught scent of weakness. She also knew that most of the problems with society stemmed from people. All the people who claimed to be good at heart, but only looked out for themselves, or the bottom line, the pay-check at the end of the week.

Yes, Ruby knew better than most just how bad life could be. But instead of becoming a bitter person like everyone else, the young girl held her beliefs close more than ever. She still believed that people were good at heart, and the ones who weren't deserved a second chance.

But most of all, Ruby believed in love, in all its forms. Not many people knew, but she was a sappy romantic at heart. True, she had never had a lasting relationship, but that didn't mean she didn't believe it couldn't happen. Normally, when asked about it, or pressured into meeting or talking with someone, the young girl would feign disinterest and claim she was happy with being single, which was only half true. She did enjoy her time alone, but she often found herself feeling like something, or more accurately someone, was missing. Late at night, when she couldn't sleep, her usually comfortable bed felt hollow and empty. It didn't help things that most people thought Ruby was immature and hyperactive, a fact more than one stranger or potential date had no qualms with pointing out. Being told things like that, and worse, did nothing to help the young girls confidence either. As a direct result, she'd developed a habit of remaining silent in new situations. Which naturally resulted in being told that she was too shy and passive for her own good. She just couldn't win against some people.

But that wouldn't matter any more; Ruby vowed to herself that as soon as her time at the hospital was over, she would find someone. She wasn't going to settle for mundane either, no, she would find someone that she could make happy, someone she could feel easy around, someone who didn't mind all her quirks.

Nodding to herself, Ruby got up off her couch and went to her art table, new determination burning inside her. The more she thought about it, the more she made up her own mind. No more waiting for it to happen. As soon as she was out of the hospital, and healed up, Ruby was going to find herself a girlfriend.

That particular line of thinking gave Ruby a new motivation. Over the next two days there was barely a time when she wasn't drawing, painting or cleaning up her house. Well, except for the end of the day; she used that time to sit back, relax and catch up on her favourite anime. It felt like no time at all before Yang was knocking on Ruby's apartment door. The blonde girl had taken the day off work to make sure there were no complications in getting her sister admitted into the hospital. That, and Ruby didn't have a car, usually relying on public transport to get where she needed, so Yang decided to drive instead. This wasn't an appointment that they wanted to be late for after all. Fortunately for the sisters, the traffic wasn't too bad that morning, and they made it to the hospital with time to spare.

Pulling into the car-park, Ruby gazed over the outside of what would essentially be her new home for the next week or so. It wasn't very exciting to look at; the building itself wasn't overly big nor overly small, as far as buildings went. Even if Ruby hadn't known that this wasn't Vale's main hospital, she would have guessed easily enough. Everything about the building seemed to say, 'I'm average'. The car-parks weren't very big, and there weren't many of them, most people simply electing to park on the street. The garden set in the roundabout in front of the entrance was green, but in need of a good weeding and trimming. Ruby knew that appearances were often deceiving but she wasn't sure hospitals should be allowed into that category. Getting such a mediocre first impression from the place did nothing to alleviate her steadily growing nerves.

The brunette was brought out of her musing by a gentle nudge.

"You alright sis?"

Ruby looked to her older sister, worry plain in her strangely coloured lilac eyes. She knew that all she had to do was ask and Yang would stay by her side throughout this whole ordeal. But she couldn't bring herself to do it; she didn't want Yang to miss out on any more work that she absolutely had to, and she didn't want to raise too much of a fuss either. She just wanted this whole thing to be done, so she could go back to being normal.

So, Ruby took a deep breath, stowed her worries and nodded at her older sister. Together they exited Yang's old ute and made their way into the hospital. Checking in was a simple enough matter; Ruby hadn't been to the hospital before, so she had to fill out a form that asked for all her details. Name, Date of Birth, Address, Next Of Kin; she didn't want to think about what they needed the last one for. After the form was filled out, everything seemed to happen all at once. A young orange haired nurse pleasantly asked Ruby to follow her, her demeanour surprisingly relaxed despite the environment.

As they walked through the compound, the young brunette felt less at ease and more worried. It was almost like someone had staged the entire hospital like a movie set, designed to put as much fear into the unsuspecting viewer as possible. The steady beeping of machines sounded eerily like a countdown, steadily keeping track of the time each person had left. The IV drips looked deceptive; were they really helping things or merely prolonging the inevitable? Each room they passed presented a new patient, with a new problem. With each step, Ruby felt her pulse quicken; she didn't want to be here, didn't belong here. She had to find a way out.

Just as Ruby began to search for an exit, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She barely had time to turn to the source before she was drawn into a strong embrace.

"It's alright, Ruby," Yang whispered gently.

Ruby could feel her eyes begin to prickle, "I'm scared Yang. What if-"

Yang snapped back, locking eyes with her sister, "Don't. You can't think about the 'what if's' Rubes. I know this isn't exactly a resort, but these people are professionals. Fixing things like this is what they do on a daily basis. You'll be fine."

Taking a deep breath, the young girl nodded and wiped at her face. She could do this.

* * *

WEISS

Flicking her off centre white ponytail back over her shoulder, Weiss consulted her newest chart once more. Just like all of the cases she was given, this patient was an anomaly. A young girl with Inflammatory Breast Cancer? If there was a higher power, they apparently had a sick sense of humour.

Weiss began mentally preparing for what she needed to do.

Walking through her office, she muttered, " _I'll need to start her on a course of chemotherapy. If the lump under her arm is anything to go by, the sooner she starts, the better._ "

Pausing at the door, Weiss took a deep breath and steeled herself. She hated this part of her day; each room, every patient felt like a sick reminder.

A vicious little voice that whispered to her, "No matter how many people you cure, fix or save, it won't matter; there will always be more."

It was even worse when people recognised her. Through either hearing her name, or merely recognising the trademark white hair, a lot of people made the connection between her and her family. Those that knew of The Schnee Family instantly distrusted her. They thought she was just like the others; more of a bureaucrat than a doctor. More concerned with fixing the sprained ankle of some “poor little” senators son than actually helping those who needed it.

At first, Weiss had argued with these people, argued until she was at her wits end. She had tried as best she could to convince them of the truth; she wasn't like her family. In fact, the whole reason she wanted to be a doctor and work at a public hospital was because she wanted to try to clear her family name. Hearing about the exploits of her grandparents in the war, saving the lives of enemy and ally alike, even running onto an active battlefield to tend to the wounded, Weiss knew that she had to be just like them. She had to do everything in her power to save those who needed help; it was the only way to redeem the family name. Because her father was not like his parents; the apple had fallen far from the tree. Where they saw people in need, opportunities to apply their skills in a worthy cause, he had seen the opportunity for wealth, power and influence and decided to do everything in his power to achieve these things. In doing so, he had given the Schnee's a reputation for caring about nothing more than money and social standing. Weiss refused to carry on that legacy.

But, no matter how much she argued, most people looked at her and saw her father. Many had lost loved ones after being turned away from his hospitals. To these people, she was just another Schnee.

So she had stopped trying to convince people otherwise. She ignored the poisonous looks, the hate filled words. She merely continued doing her job, most times opting for silence when words weren't needed. If she couldn't talk people into believing her, she would just have to show them; she would treat every person in Remnant if she had to. But there was no way she was giving up.

Not that she realised it, but Weiss' musings dictated her body movements, making her posture ramrod straight and her pace brisk and businesslike. Naturally, most people got out the prickly doctors way, more than one person either bearing witness to or, worse yet, enduring the tongue lashing of a flustered Dr. Schnee. She hadn't made anyone cry, yet. But she made those who got in her way realise just how idiotic and doltish they were being.

To most Schnee's, time was money. To Weiss, time was a life that could be saved. She barely stopped for a meal break when she was at work, knowing that her time could be better spent elsewhere.

Walking into her latests patients room, Weiss was already planning out a course of action for not only the cute young girl in front of her, but for her next patient.

Standing in the doorway of the room, the white clad doctor paused.

_"_ _Cute? Where the hell had that come from? I haven't even looked at...oh,"_ Weiss' internal musing was cut off when she spotted two young women in the room with her. One of them was obviously older by at least a couple of years, her face more weathered. Either this tall blonde girl was an athlete of some sort, or she worked hard on her body because her toned muscles were obvious even through her yellow T-shirt. Her lilac eyes held hints of humour and mirth, but mostly there was suspicion and wariness blazing back at the doctor. But as physically attractive as the blonde girl was, that wasn't who Weiss was looking at. No, she couldn't take her eyes off the younger girl sitting on the edge of the bed, swinging her feet. She wasn't even facing the white-haired doctor, but she captured her attention anyway. Weiss had no idea what came over her in that instant. Something about the girls posture or her red-tipped, brunette hair seemed to be begging the doctor to comfort the girl. Unbidden images of Weiss stroking the girls short, silky hair as she slowly fell asleep filled the doctors mind.

The way she was sitting made the girl look smaller than she was, almost as if she was bracing for an impact or blow of some sort, like she was trying to take as little damage as possible.

Strangely enough, Weiss found herself focussing mainly on the girls hands. They were faintly stained with different colours, pointing towards a passion with art. But what captured Weiss' attention most was the way the hands fidgeted. The small, delicate hands restlessly rubbed against one another, occasionally tensing and squeezing each other.

Weiss usually prided herself on being able to keep a professional, and healthy, distance from her patients, but everything about this girl spoke to some protective instinct in the experienced doctor. She wanted to take those small hands in her own, gently of course. She wanted to let her know that she would be there for her, she would protect her. She wanted to take those stained hands in her own and never let go.

With no small effort, Weiss shook her head and looked down her at her chart once more, letting her glasses slide down her nose slightly as she did so. Surely this wasn't the girl her chart was talking about. Looking back up, the two women made eye contact for the first time.

An involuntary gasp escaped Weiss' lips. The girls eyes! The colour alone was enough to enthral her; how many people had silver eyes? But what really captured her attention was the emotions swimming in said silver eyes. There was uncertainty and fear, no doubt about that, but also a hardness that spoke volumes of a great will, one that could not be overcome so easily.

Before Weiss could think any deeper about those eyes, the emotions in them changed to reflect surprise and what looked like embarrassment.

The young brunette let out a squeak and hurriedly got up off the bed, colour tinting her cheeks slightly.

Weiss could feel her own cheeks begin to heat up.

_"_ _Oh dear god, she's_ _adorable!"_

* * *

RUBY

Unknown to Weiss, Ruby had been told to wait in the empty room by a nurse who seemed very sympathetic after finding out who her doctor was. But naturally, the young woman had quickly grown bored, deciding to sit on the bed. The minutes started to drag out, and both sisters began to fidget in silence, Ruby kicking her legs back and forth while Yang paced back and forth, eyes never leaving the doorway.

Ruby didn't notice the doctor was even in the room until she heard Yang stop her pacing, and the rustling of paper. Slowly, she turned her head to look at her doctor. Then everything happened at once. Ruby let out an involuntary squeak, immediately mentally flinching as she did, and stood up ramrod straight. She had no idea why she did so, other than the fact that her doctor was absolutely stunning!

The first thing she had seen when she looked up, was light blue eyes looking up at her, over a pair of professional-looking glasses. That in itself was enough to set Ruby's heart aflutter. There were just those people who looked good in glasses, and this girl was definitely one of those people. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. The woman looked slightly older than Ruby, maybe around Yang's age, but everything about her attire made her look older, more mature. Her white coat was immaculate, no stains or creases in sight. Her light blue button-up shirt was tucked into her grey, fitting, dress pants. Even her off-centre ponytail seemed to be perfectly placed, not a stray hair to be found.

This actually gave off a slightly intimidating first impression, but that impression was quickly quelled as Ruby looked closer at the doctor.

She didn't know how to better describe it, but it almost like Ruby's doctor had facial features that were soft yet sharp. Her jawline gently flowed into a slightly pointed chin, her nose was nothing more than a cute button upon her face. All of her features were soft and delicate, almost as if they were made of the highest grade of porcelain there was. But Ruby got the impression that this woman was definitely _not_ fragile. No, if anything, the doctor's perfectly straight posture was reminiscent of someone in royalty, or even the military. Coupled with the almost imperceptible frown lines that Ruby could see, she figured the doctor was usually very strict and used to getting things done in a certain way.

A haughty princess.

Normally, this would be enough cause for Ruby to lose interest in a person; first impressions were important to her. But something about the doctors ice blue eyes gave the younger girl pause. For a split second, she saw concern and worry. But it was more than just simple worry; it was almost like the doctor wanted to help but didn't believe she could, like she didn't have the power or confidence in herself to do so. It broke Ruby's heart to see.

She made a promise to herself then and there.

She would do everything in her power to make this woman smile again.

Right after she stopped staring at her.

For the second time in as many minutes, Ruby squeaked, cringing right after she did so.

The doctor continued to stare down her glasses at the girl for a moment. Then she cleared her throat and absently pushed her glasses back up.

"I'm Doctor Weiss Schnee, am I correct in assuming that you are Miss Ruby Rose?"

"Um, uh, yes, yes I am," Ruby managed to stutter out, surprised at the monotone undercurrent in the doctors voice.

"And you are?"

Yang visibly tensed before answering, "Yang Xiao Long."

The white-haired doctor huffed slightly, "Relation to the patient?"

Both girls were visibly stunned at the doctors attitude. Was this snotty, rude woman really the best the hospital could come up with?

"I'm her sister. Last time I checked, family were allowed to visit their loved ones while they're in a hospital. Or has that changed?" Yang's tone alone and the way she stood still, almost too still, was enough to warn all but the very brave or very stupid.

But whether she didn't notice, or didn't care, Doctor Weiss Schnee merely huffed once more and said, "No, sadly, it has not changed."

"What do you mean by that, 'sadly it hasn't changed?' You don't want people to see their sick and potentially dying loved ones?" Yang's voice cracked slightly as she finished her sentence.

Dr Schnee looked shocked for a moment before her posture dropped and she said, "I apologise; you obviously care a great deal about your sister. I've just dealt with more than one abusive family member purely based on my name."

Yang visibly relaxed as Ruby cocked her head slightly, “What's wrong with your name?”

“Nothing, it just has a certain weight in some circles,” Weiss evaded; she didn't feel like recounting the atrocities of her family yet again.

Ruby shrugged and stuttered out, "So, uh, w-what's the plan doc?"

Again, Weiss felt her heart melt when she looked at the younger girl who was now her patient. She was going through hell right now, but still trying to put a brave face on. But even a stranger like Weiss could tell that this girl wasn't hiding her feelings very well. This only served to increase the strange desire the doctor had to comfort and protect this young woman.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss shook her head slightly and fell into business mode once more, "As you know, all of your tests have pointed towards you having Inflammatory Breast Cancer. This requires us to take immediate action, as this is a more aggressive strain of cancer. It blocks the lymphatic vessels in the skin of your breast instead of forming a tumour in the tissue of your breast. This means it spreads a lot quicker. So, first off, we will be doing a similar test to what you've already had done," noticing the blonde woman about to speak, Weiss held up a hand, "just to see what has changed, if anything. From there, you will be started on a treatment of chemotherapy. This will act in the same way as it would for a normal case of cancer, in that it will help stop the spread of the cancer cells, and hopefully reduce the size and number of cells that are already there."

"From there, I would have to recommend surgery," Weiss paused for a moment, noticing the way the brunette tensed up.

Weiss tensed herself; she always hated this part of her job, "The typical procedure would be to do a full mastectomy, which means we would remove your breast and all of its tissue along with some of the lymph nodes under your arm, especially since that's where you're developing lumps. But depending on just how you react to the chemotherapy, we may not have to do a full mastectomy. Some surgery will be needed, however. After that, I recommend a course of Radiation Therapy to kill off any remaining cancer cells."

Weighted silence filled the room, all eyes on the young woman whose life was about to change so drastically. Mixed emotions danced across her face; fear, anxiety, anger. But the expression that stuck was one of desperate determination.

Looking up at the her beautiful doctor, Ruby calmly asked, "When do we start?"

 


	4. What's to come

Once again, everything flew into motion for Ruby. Apparently her Doctor had been more than just a kind old lady; she'd made a point of getting into contact with the hospital and debriefing them on absolutely everything. Obviously this information had ended up in Dr. Schnee's hands, who was nothing if not efficient. The white-themed Doctor had wasted no time in calling in a nurse and performing another test on Ruby.  
Before she began, Dr. Schnee made sure the door to the room was shut and the curtain around the bed was drawn. Then she asked Ruby to remove her shirt and lay on her side, with her arm above her head.

  
As she complied, Ruby heard the doctor describe what she was doing.  
“This test is similar to what you've already had done, Miss Rose. It's a Skin Punch Biopsy. The big difference between this test and the Biopsy you've already had is this test is designed to only take a piece of your skin, rather than part of the tissue in your breast,” Ruby heard the woman get closer to her, “That being said, it's not going to be a pleasant test, it will in fact still be rather painful. Are you ready?”

  
Ruby braced herself and nodded.

  
And instantly regretted everything. Dr. Schnee hadn't been lying; this wasn't a pleasant test.  
Ruby did her best to hold still and keep quiet as she felt her skin being cut and pulled at.

  
After what felt like far too long, the test was over. Taking a quick look at the sore spot, Ruby almost felt cheated. She expected to find a large piece of skin missing, or at least a bit of blood, something to show that her pain wasn't unwarranted. But there was barely a hole in her skin, and only the smallest amount of blood emanated from said hole.

  
Ruby promptly forgot all about that as soon as she felt Dr. Schnee's hand on her skin; she flinched and then froze, all in the space of half a second. The Doctor's hands were freezing! And tiny, and strangely soft, and Dear Oum.

  
She was basically touching Ruby's boob.  
_“She's a doctor, don't sweat it, it means nothing. Think about something else. Anything else. Definitely don't think about the gorgeous woman touching you, nope, don't think about that at aaalllll.”_  
The young woman's internal reassurances did nothing to stop the bright red colour that rapidly flooded her face.  
Ruby's rapid change in skin colour did not go unnoticed by her Doctor.

Leaning forward, Dr. Schnee placed a cool hand against the younger woman's forehead.

  
“Are you feeling alright Miss Rose? Your skin is flushed all of a sudden.”

  
“I, um, yeah, I'm pretty girl, I mean, pretty good, yeah, pretty good,” the colour in Ruby's face only becoming more prominent with every word that came out of her mouth.

  
Dr. Schnee took a step back, and tapped her chin. What could be causing such a sudden reaction in the young woman?  
She was sure she had done everything right, and the young woman had already put her clothes back on.

Sudden realisation made the white-themed Doctor say, “Oh,” and turn the same shade as her patient in an even faster period of time.

  
In a flash, Doctor Schnee turned away, Ruby bodily dived for her clothes, and a rather high pitched squeak could be heard from both sides of the room simultaneously.

  
Doctor Schnee cleared her throat, “Right, um, I will send these samples off and have news for you as swiftly as I can, Miss Rose.”

  
With that, she briskly strode out of the room, suddenly feeling rather hot herself. The young Doctor kept her head down as best she could as she made her way around the hospital, hoping to get a moment alone in her office to compose herself. This plan failed miserably as she ran directly into someone.

Looking up, Weiss realised she couldn't have bumped into anyone worse. Standing in front of her was her boss, Doctor Qrow Branwen. The taller man smirked, “Going somewhere Princess?” that irritating smirk only grew when he took a second glance at her, “Oh, got a hot date lined up have we?”

  
“Firstly, I am not a Princess and secondly, no, I do not have a 'hot date lined up' as you so crudely put it.” Weiss stated, straightening herself up.

  
“Uh-huh, then why the blush?”

  
Weiss felt her face heat up again, “I have no idea what you are talking about, now please, I have to get back to my – Hey!” She was cut off by the older man grabbing her chart out of her arms.

  
“Hmm, let's see, maybe it was one of your patients?” Qrow mused, oblivious to Weiss' efforts of regaining her chart.

  
“Old guy; doubt it. Pregnant lady; hope not. Young girl with cancer,” her face must have betrayed her, because Qrow's face lit up, “Bingo.” Without another word, the man made his way towards Ruby's room.

  
Weiss didn't bother chasing him, _“It would be unbecoming of me to engage in such foolishness,”_ she told herself. It definitely had nothing to do with memories of innocent silver eyes that brought heat to her face. Nope, absolutely not.

 

Ruby felt like she was going to spontaneously combust. It was bad enough that she had to be practically half naked around her ridiculously cute doctor, but to make matters worse, Yang was still with her, and had figured out exactly why Ruby was blushing in a matter of seconds.

  
“You know, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like you have a bad body. I mean, you might not have the same 'gifts' as me,” Yang pointed towards her generous chest, “but you've still got a lot going for you. Maybe next test you can ask for her number.” Yang finished her statement with the biggest smirk she could possibly muster.

  
Before Ruby could respond, she heard a gruff voice, “Whose number? Ice Princess? Well, no one can say you don't like a challenge.”

  
Standing in the doorway was a tall, slim, gruff man in a shabby doctors coat. His slicked-back hair, slouch and unkempt upkeep gave him an air of laziness, of indifference.

  
Needlessly to say, both sisters were surprised when he shook their hands and introduced himself as, “Qrow Branwen, Chief Physician and you must be the young lady I've heard so much about.”

  
“Oh-ho, hear that Rubes? Someone's been talking about you,” Yang singsonged.

  
Ruby attempted a reply, “I, uh, I mean, she was, I guess, I just,”

  
She could feel the heat in her face come back tenfold and from the growing grins around her, everyone else knew about it too; Ruby sighed and let her head sink into her hands.

  
“It's ok there kiddo, don't let this old man's teasing worry you. The Ice Princess is probably the best doctor in the area; she's certainly the most driven,” Qrow's face flashed another emotion, too fast for the girls to catch before he continued, “She's no doubt let you know what's going to happen in terms of tests and the like, but I thought I'd come see you myself,” he leaned in and stage whispered, “between you and I, the Princess can come off a little cold.”

  
“You sir, are my hero,” Yang exclaimed, holding her fist out the to the Doctor.

  
Qrow smiled and tapped the blonde's fist with his own.  
Turning back to Ruby, he continued, “In all seriousness though kiddo, Doctor Schnee knows what she's doing, and besides if she didn't, I certainly do. I've had my fair share of cancer patients,” that huge grin split his face again, “they don't call me _chemo-sabe_ for nothing.”

  
Silence filled the room as Ruby's mouth fell agape.  
Then Yang fell to the floor and started rolling around with laughter.  
Qrow's smile only grew as he turned to leave; his work here was done.  
Amidst the sound of laughter he heard a muttered, “Great, now there's two of them.”

 

Once Yang got over her hysterics, she bid her sister farewell, claiming she needed to get an early night's sleep. Ruby breathed a deep sigh and fell back onto her bed; finally, she got some peace and quiet.

  
A sudden knock shattered said silence, “Miss Rose?”  
Groaning, Ruby sat up to greet the intruder. And promptly cocked her head in confusion. She was expecting another white-coated person, here to poke and prod at her. This man was anything but; he stood straight and tall, a simple black walking cane tucked under one arm, giving him an air of discipline, of composure. His clothes definitely added to this impression; he was wearing what was obviously a well tailored suit, comprised of a black jacket, dark green pants, a black vest and a green shirt. This nearly made Ruby nervous of the strange man, until she saw his gentle smile, kind eyes and white scarf covered in printed hearts.  
Ruby couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.

  
“Ah, I see you've noticed my scarf. It's an attempt to bring a little cheer into the lives of those around me, those who don't regard it as juvenile at least. My name is Doctor Ozpin, I am going to be your psychiatrist while you are here Miss Rose,” Ozpin smiled gently and held out a hand.

  
Ruby stood to shake the proffered hand, “Oh, hi. I do like your scarf, but, uh, I didn't realise I'd need to see a psychiatrist.”

  
The older man rested his hands on his cane, “Well Miss Rose, it's not a matter of you needing a psychiatrist, it's a matter of having someone to help you through this trying time. After all, I know a little about this sort of thing.”

  
With that, Ozpin lifted up the his right pant leg, revealing a prosthetic.  
Ruby didn't say anything, she merely sat down on her bed and tried to make sense of the emotions racing through her.

  
Ozpin dropped his pant leg and asked, “Might I join you, Miss Rose?”

  
Ruby nodded numbly, but didn't respond when she felt the bed sink beside her. She had no idea how much time passed like that; seconds, minutes, hours? However long it actually was, it felt like an eternity in Ruby's head. She didn't know how to react to that; what if things turned out like that? What if she lost a limb too, and was forced to live out the rest of her life disfigured and shunned? She'd never be normal again, people would stare, whisper behind her back, pity her.  
Ruby felt her breath begin to quicken along with her thoughts, until a warm weight settled on her shoulder.

  
Looking over, she met the gaze of two brown eyes, filled with depth, “Miss Rose,” Ozpin began, “I won't lie to you. I won't coddle you for fear of you being too young to handle the truth; I suspect you've already had to deal with more than most,” he must have seen something in Ruby's eyes, because Ozpin nodded before continuing, “As I thought. Now, the truth is, in my case, this was the best case scenario. I was very fortunate. This is not the case for everyone; some end up much worse. But I believe that half of this battle that you're about to commence, does not involve doctors at all.”

  
Ruby frowned, “What do you mean? This is something only the doctors can fix.”

  
“To a certain degree, you are correct. But allow me to ask you a question, Miss Rose, how do you feel, physically, when you're having a bad day?”

  
“Um, tired and crappy, I guess.”

  
Ozpin smiled, “Exactly. Now, is there anything that usually causes these feelings of lethargy and the like, other than your mood?” Ruby began to answer when Ozpin held up a hand, “I want you to really consider you answer here, Miss Rose. Think about the days where you woke up after a good nights rest, feeling good, only for something to happen and your mood took a turn for the worse. Was there anything physically wrong with you that would contribute to these feelings?”

  
She didn't understand where the Doctor was going with this, but Ruby thought about his question all the same. She knew exactly what kind of day he was referring to; there were plenty of days where she woke with a smile on her face, only to end up in her bed, trying not to cry herself to sleep.

  
Ruby shrugged, “No, I don't think so; I always thought feeling crappy physically and mentally kinda went hand in hand.”

  
Ozpin's eyes practically sparkled at that, “You couldn't be more right, Miss Rose. When you're in a good mood, your brain releases chemicals that make you feel energetic, vibrant, like you can take on the world. The same is true for bad moods; once again, your brain releases chemicals, but these chemicals will make you feel tired, sore, even nauseous. Do you see where I'm going with this, Miss Rose?”

  
The young brunette thought for a moment, “I think so; you're basically saying I should stay hopeful, right?”

  
“That's correct,” he smiled.

  
Ruby frowned, her patience growing thin, “That's all well and good, but that doesn't change the fact that I could die. Thinking about rainbows and fairies won't change that.”

  
“Tell me, if that's the case, then what good will thinking about death do? Will it make you feel better, make time go by quicker?” Ozpin's gaze burned into her, “Will trudging about this hospital make things any easier on you? Will resigning yourself to your fate make things easy for your family?”

  
Ruby couldn't believe what she hearing. Wasn't this man supposed to make her feel better, not worse?  
When Ozpin didn't say anything more, only look at her expectantly, Ruby sighed and thought about exactly what the man had said. Once his words registered to the young girl, her eyes began to burn with tears. She thought about Yang, about Blake, about all of her friends back at school. She didn't want to see them unhappy, she didn't want them to have to go through any more pain. Most of all, she didn't want to be the reason that the people she loved went through pain. She wouldn't wish that on anyone.

  
Tears on her face and steel in her voice, Ruby answered, “No, moping around won't make things easier. Not on me, or anyone close to me. I see what you're saying, Doctor,” she took a shaky breath, “Thank you, I'll try my best.”

  
His gaze was gentle now as Ozpin calmly stated, “You won't have to do this on your own, Miss Rose. My door is always open.”  
With that, the well dressed man began to leave the room.

  
Ruby snapped her head up, “Wait!” Ozpin turned, “Please, call me Ruby.”  
Ozpin smiled and nodded slightly before taking his leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the next chapter for everyone. This one was a bit of a struggle; it just felt weird for some reason. But thanks to Lugen, who acted as a beta reader for me, things flow a lot better to me now. I'll be sitting down and really hashing out some major plans before I post the next chapter, just so I don't run into any further issues. Anyway, catch you all next time.  
> Peace Out.


End file.
